Now, more than anytime in sports history, sports teams are facing an increasingly difficult struggle to attract their ticket-buying fans away from their living room La-Z-Boys and into the stadium. It is no secret, modern television networks broadcast nearly every sporting event worth watching; and fans enjoy saving time, effort, and money to watch their favorite teams at home on their 4K displays, a resolution of such high definition it makes you certain that J.J. Watt is in the room with you.
One of the primary frustrations fans voice after unsatisfactory stadium experiences is a lack of wireless connectivity for their mobile devices. Overcrowded cellular networks and underdeveloped Wi-Fi infrastructure often prevents smartphone users from accessing online media. What was formerly a gathering of 70,000 of your closest friends, has now become a battle of individual Facebookers and Snap-chatters attempting to post game-day statuses and send sideline selfies to no avail.
The NFL has responded to this outcry from fans by requiring each NFL stadium to install legitimate Wi-Fi networks by the 2015 season, but for numerous other sports, such as college football, connectivity remains a struggle. The considerable cost of expanding a stadium’s wireless network is one of the initial turnoffs for many collegiate programs. Take into account the Jacksonville Jaguars, who recently spent $1.25 million to bring sustainable Wi-Fi to fans at Everbank Field.
For fans yearning for a richer in-stadium experience, Atlanta-based startup, XYCAST, could easily be the next sports tech gadget on your Christmas list. Officially launched this past August, XYCAST is a company that provides fans in and around the stadium with an informative and interactive broadcast right to their mobile device. The XYCAST broadcast acts similarly to an ESPN gamecast, providing users with scores, stats, highlights, and more relevant content regarding the game at hand. As described on their website, XYCAST turns any phone into an “interactive, personal Jumbotron.”
Composed of a team of business experts, technology innovators, and passionate sports fans, XYCAST looks to fulfill the average fan’s desire to engage with their favorite sports teams on a deeper level.
The innovation of XYCAST lies not in the content, but in the process the data is received by your smartphone. The XYCAST design does not require Wi-Fi or cell network connectivity; rather, users will rely on Bluetooth and the credit-card-sized Personal Data Receiver (PDR) to receive information. A fan simply downloads the game-specific XYCAST app from either the Apple or Android marketplace, and syncs the minute PDR with their smartphone via Bluetooth.
Using an individual Bluetooth signal for each PDR, the broadcast bypasses the congested Wi-Fi and cellular networks and sends content to each fan in real-time. XYCAST compares their unique broadcast system to that of a standard AM/FM radio signal. With the PDR, if you are within a mile of the stadium, you are within range to acquire the broadcast.
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Stadium officials can even send specifically tailored content to certain areas of fans within the venue to supplement their traditional broadcast. This tactic could be especially useful in targeting student sections at collegiate sporting events, or even the raucous supporter sections found close to the pitch at soccer matches.
For a broadcast to be possible, XYCAST must install their transmitting equipment at that particular stadium. At the present time, only the college football stadiums at the University of Michigan, University of Auburn, Florida State University, U.S. Naval Academy, and the University of South Carolina have the capability to emit the XYCAST signal, but as their brand develops, the team hopes to expand to venues across the nation.
XYCAST’s broadcasting technology is not solely limited to sporting arenas, either. Major shopping centers, large business conventions, and concerts could easily find use for the Bluetooth technology utilized by the PDR to further engage smartphone users.
We recently had the opportunity to discuss XYCAST with Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Cox, to obtain an inside look at this new fan engagement technology.
SportTechie: Where did you get the inspiration for XYCAST?
Bruce Cox: XYCAST is built by sports fans for sports fans. We applied the life-long passion and wireless expertise of our Co-Founder, Cy Smith, to create a better way for fans to connect with their team and players at the game through wireless technology. We believe that fans who attend games, are passionate about their teams and create the amazing in- stadium atmosphere are underserved from a technology perspective. Our mission is to change that.
ST: Can you explain how the PDR’s unique broadcasting system works?
BC: XYCAST is a powerful, “push technology.” We created a customized broadcast that delivers event specific data (video highlights, pictures, scores, and stats) to mobile phones of an unlimited number of fans who are inside the stadium or within a one-mile radius. So, those that are tailgating benefit as well.
The information we broadcast is wirelessly distributed without connections to cellular or Wi-Fi networks. Until cell phones are engineered to receive our broadcast directly, every fan simply carries a small Personal Data Receiver (PDR) that is paired via Bluetooth to their mobile phone.
The fan downloads a XYCAST enabled app on their iOS or Android phone and it seamlessly connects to the broadcast. In addition to the game-specific content that we provide, we can also use this technology to set a new standard for the fan experience. We can play fight songs, make all the phones flash go on at once, or transform colors of the screen on all connected phones simultaneously.
ST: Plans for future applications on the PDR?
We are in the beginning stage of this product lifecycle. The PDR will evolve, it may be embedded into mobile power chargers, and will ultimately be integrated into other merchandise that fans routinely bring to the game. Adding radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to the PDR will be a focus as well, enabling cashless concessions, V.I.P. access, and even paperless ticketing.
BC: Which sport or league do you hope to expand to next?
Our vision is to offer this technology, enhancing the live game-day experience, to all sports and venues. We’ve already been in conversations with many professional sports teams who like our concept.
ST: Anything else you would like to add?
BC: Our platform complements the application of cell and Wi-Fi networks at live events. Ultimately, the staggering costs of building out, maintaining, and securing wireless networks at stadiums are passed along to the passionate fans who support these teams. We offer the most economical way to distribute information to mobile phones in the stadiums. We look forward to being the most effective and seamless wireless technology at live events across the country.
Evidently, it is only the beginning for Cox and company at XYCAST. This innovative startup is targeting other college and professional teams tired of connectivity woes and discouraged by the immense price tag of enhanced wireless infrastructure to further their goal of providing the supreme fan experience.
XYCAST has yet to release the PDR to the market, but those interested are free to pre-order the device on their official website.